Birthday Is Just an Ordinary Day Special to You
by Yell the Punmeister
Summary: It's Gintoki's birthday and he decides to spend it the best way he knows


Like plenty of other people, Sakata Gintoki looked forward to his birthdays.

But like plenty of other war veterans, he also wanted to hide from all the people on that particular day.

It's not like he wanted to wallow in self pity, nothing like that. It's just that the life taught him long time ago that birthdays are the same as regular days. The Earth just keeps turning around the Sun, everybody else goes to their usual business. There is nothing special about this day. That's why he made sure no one knew when his birthday is approaching.

When he got up that morning, everything was normal. Kagura was still sleeping, Shinpachi hasn't arrived yet, and the old hag was in her bar, reprimanding Tama for overworking herself yet again. Quite an ordinary day, with only two differences. It was his birthday and he wanted to be alone.

That is why he dressed quietly, not to wake up Kagura, and went for a walk. But instead of going his usual route, he turned around and just started walking. The chill in the air almost made him regret not taking a scarf, but in the end he decided this was better. This way he wouldn't have to think too much. People were going their usual jobs and there were coupe of them who greeted him cheerfully. He waived his hand absently in return.

He never understood why he always spent his birthdays alone. It just started happening ten years ago. At least in the past he would acknowledge his birthday, but as years passed, it just became ordinary. He didn't mind it though. It was better this way. The only problem was, if it was an ordinary day, why does it take so much reminding so he could accept that.

Gintoki stopped for a moment. Engrossed in his own thoughts, he didn't even realize where his body was leading him. A sad smile appeared on his face. It was always this place he comes to, every year on this day. He knew instinctively where he wants to be on this very day. That is how he always ends up on the graveyard.

He passed between the tombstones, putting his hand on each and every one of them. Closing his eyes, he imagined them being the ones of his fallen comrades. All those brothers in arms he couldn't bury properly. For him, those were the tombstones of each and every body he had to burn so the disease won't spread and all those bodies he had to leave in the snow on the cold. Every time he felt the cold stone beneath his fingers he would whisper a silent apologize.

"I am sorry I couldn't find you a resting place"

To passersby it would look like a weird ritual, but it calmed him. Just for a day, he could pretend this was the truth. He chuckled. His past consisted of some twisted reality where the happy ending is actually digging graves so there would be some place to mourn the fallen warriors. And here he was, still alive, another birthday that passed, while everybody else is dead.

It took him great restraint not to spend the whole day here. It was peaceful here. He turned towards the Yorozuya and slowly walked. Bidding his final goodbye to the tombstones, he put on his usual face, a mask that he wore every day, because he just didn't want them to know.

It was late afternoon when he finally reached the destination. It was okay, there wasn't any job, and he was known to disappear even for days. Whole way back he was the same usual Sakata Gintoki, the lazy perm head who loved booze, pachinko and chocolate parfaits. Every step he made was lighter and lighter, the weight of the past slowly going away. After all, his friends were waiting for him there. And like always they probably wreaked havoc.

The moment he opened the door, something white almost threw him on the ground. Out of habit he wanted reprimand Sadaharu, when he realized that the thing that hugged him had orange hair. The person was also crying.

"I'm… I'm sorry, I did my best."

"What?"

It was then that Gintoki realized that Kagura was white because of all the flour that somehow ended up on her. He looked inside the room to see Shinpachi sighing in annoyance. He raised his eyebrow silently asking the boy what this all was about.

"She somehow imagined…"

"I haven't imagined! It is Gin-chan's birthday. And I wanted to make you a nice strawberry cake, but… then… I remembered I don't know how to bake…"

"And that is how I found her."

Gintoki helped Kagura get on her feet and patted her on the head.

"Where did you get the idea it is my birthday?"

"I heard it from that sadist." Kagura made a disgusted face at the memory of the Shinsengumi officer, Okita Sougou. He still annoyed her. "He said it is in your files. It is today. And I wanted to make you a surprise, I tried."

Gintoki sighed in annoyance and then looked at both of them. This really made him feel warm around the heart. Maybe birthdays can become special, again. He ushered them both inside.

"Okay, let me show you how you make a good strawberry cake. But first of all, Kagura, change yourself. And put an apron for heaven's sake. And don't go near strawberries."


End file.
